Secondary professions for a Ranger
Ranger/Warrior A Warrior secondary profession combines well with a Ranger main. Warrior attack skills that use energy can benefit from the Ranger's primary attribute, Expertise. Differences are rangers have a lower base armor value than warriors (70 vs. 80) and receive no bonus against physical damage, but they receive higher armor bonus against elemental damage (+30). The R/W can take advantage of Flail and other attack speed boosters. Example builds: * Build:R/W Choking Gas Ranger * Build:R/W Rampage Thumper Ranger/Elementalist Ranger/Elementalists (R/E) can take advantage of the conjure spells to enhance their damage output. This technique is usually employed for use with Barrage. Since Barrage will remove any preparations upon use, relying on Ignite Arrows or Kindle Arrows for extra damage is a waste. However, since spells like Conjure Flame or Conjure Frost are enchantments the bonus damage is not removed upon activating Barrage. Enchantments have the additional advantage of lasting longer than preparations. Example Builds: * Build:R/E Fire Barrage Ranger * Build:R/E Tainted Flames Ranger/Mesmer R/Me is a very common profession combination in PvP. It is used for the Ranger spike teams (using the Mesmer skills Drain Enchantment and Hex Breaker) and trapping teams (using Mantra of Resolve to avoid interruptions while setting traps). Example Builds: * Build:R/Me Fissure Forest Farmer Ranger/Monk The Ranger/Monk (R/Mo) is a very flexible profession combination. It is often used as a trapper in The Underworld, usually concentrating on Expertise and Wilderness Survival attributes. The R/Mo can be used as a runner, combining the speed skills of the Ranger and the hex and condition removal of a monk. Example Builds: * Build:R/Mo Vigorous Barrager Ranger/Necromancer The 'Touch Ranger' takes advantage of expertise's effect on touch-range skills. See Build:R/N Touch Ranger. Ranger/Assassin An archery-focused Ranger can employ Shadow Arts skills, particularly reactive teleports such as Recall, to keep out of melee range of enemy Warriors and Assassins. Signet of Malice grants condition removal, protecting against dangerous conditions like blind or cripple. A dagger-based ranger can be somewhat effective due to expertise reducing the cost of dagger skills, however a R/A will miss out on the IAS skills of a warrior etc. Example builds: *Build:R/A Burning Arrow Ganksman Ranger/Ritualist Weapon Spells can work well with a bow, Splinter Weapon in particular combines well with Barrage for heavy AoE damage. Example builds: *Build:R/Rt Brutal Bombardier Ranger/Paragon Beast Mastery-major builds, such as the Pack Hunter build displayed in the Nightfall expansion preview events, potentially gain the benefit of extra damage in the form of a pet. In fact, by switching in Enraged Lunge for its default elite pet attack and changing all energy-cost spear attacks to adrenal-only spear attacks, this standard build may be converted into something truly devastating. Either personal attack speed buffing stance in Beast Mastery will black out Charm Animal and Comfort Animal making those skills more than just filler in the skill bar while enabling the pet attack to do something on the order of 80 damage to a soft target. In AB play, where a resurrection skill is not required, the build gains some healing in the form of Predatory Bond while providing another skill to buff Enraged Lunge; in this case, even when other skills are not blacked out, this skill will be as one will always use it when it becomes available; this translates into a steady bonus to Enraged Lunge instead of a spike bonus, making both skills that much more worthwhile in cunjunction. Ranger/Dervish Ranger primaries can use a scythe. Since all attacks are Energy-based, and Expertise lowers them up to 48%. A few skills could be useful for runners, like Hex removers and Vow of Silence. A bow ranger can take advantage of enchantments like Ebon Dust Aura, Harrier's Grasp or Attacker's Insight used with high-energy skills like Broad Head Arrow and Concussion Shot. Example builds: * Build:R/D Ebon Dust Arrow * Build:R/D Enchanted Forge Runner * Build:R/D Impurity Farmer Ranger